AUCKLAND STREETS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11691, 28 June 1901, Page 7

AUCKLAND STREETS.

; '... «>- — IN A LAMENTABLE CONDITION. THE CITY COUNCIL STIRRED UP. QUEEN-STREET TO BE REPAIRED AT ONCE. At the City Council* mooting last night a letter was read from the Auckland Cycle Roads League, nsking that the Council should deal specifically with the league's allegations as to road-making, etc., tho text Df which has already boon published in the Herald. The city engineer's report stated that he jould only reaffirm his previous statement is to the material used in street maintenance. The best efforts wore being made to use metal of a size suitable to withstand the heavy traffic tho roads arc subjected to The stone-crusher in use occasionally allowed pieces of stone larger than 2|in to pass through it, but to obviate this now castings were being fixed m the machine, and strict instructions had been given to allow no stone that would not pass the 2.'dn ring to leave the machine. The 2in metal referred to in his reply to tho league's last letter was specially hand-broken for tho test named therein, and, whatever might bo said io the contrary, that sized metal had been used and found to bo useless. It also proved most conclusively that it was only fit for light, traffic. A deputation from tho league were present, and*on the motion of Mr. Stiehbnry it was decided that they bo heard. The deputation consisted of Messrs. P. A. Vaile, Emil Bockaort, H. C. Choyco, and J. Henton. Mr. Vaile explained that thev came primarily as members of the council of the Auckland Cycle Roads Loastuo, and secondly as ratepayers, lie complained that the league bad in their letters made specific charges while the Council had only replied in general terms. They had come to wait on the Council in order to bring several points forcibly before the members. The road surfaces had been neglected all over the city, the racial being spread on the streets, not rolled,, and not properly attended to. The league- had made seven specific complaints or statements. If thoy were true, the Council were wasting the money pi the ratepayers, and, •if not true, then the Cycle League should acknowledge that they had made a mistake-. Thoy did not make tin ir statement; without being able to substantiate them. Having made those specific allegations and offered to prove them, it was thoduty of the Council to look into tho matter, and see if the facts were as pet out. It seemed to him. that they could not get the Council to go and. look at the roads, and, a; the Council would not go to the roads, the league had brought the Vo vis to the Council. If the Council were desirous of seeing what was being done in Symondsstreet, the league had brought a bo:: of metal, which, he thought, the Council would have some difficulty in passing through the 24m ring. The roads were in a shock-in" condition. It was said that there was a scarcity of funds, but that was no excuse. for what was no excuse for what was being done in a manner that was squandering the money of lbs Council. Another very important point was the quality of the metal. That being used was not only very uneven, but generally very bad. It was not the best ! Ciass of metal that Auckland could produce, ! u.cri.aps he would be told that a lo: of the j large stones picked up had come from that I part, of (ho road for which the Tram Com- j pany was responsible, but surely it was the ' duty of tho City Council to see that the ! tllir.n- to properly done, even though the I Aram Company were responsible. He noticed 1 that; Mr. Bourne was moving in the direo- I tior. of baring an engineer appointed to tho Council, but in the meantime tho roads, which were in a shocking state, were being neglected. The condition of the tram-lines ' in Queen-street was such that in many places ' the road was a regular death-trap for cyclists, la effecting repairs, there was too much of I an admixture of metal chips, with the result that when rain came there was a perfect I quagmire. They were told that the surface : of the roads was prepared to receive the metal, but in nine cases out of 10 it was i>ot. Symonds-street was a case in point. In short, tho state of the roads in Auckland bad .become sveh a. thorough public scandal that it was time that, sosaeone did something ' in the matter. He did not think there could j be the slightest doubt in the minds of even | tho councillors that tho streets of Auckland j at the present time were a thorough disgrace, Slot only to such a city, but would be so to ! such a little place as Pajmerston North. It should not bo necessary after that night ! fcr the league to again come before the j Council. He hoped that the Council would give the care of the reads some slight attention, because really in the past they had had no proper attention. Speaking of the question of the 2JUa metal, which was one of great importance., he might say that the engineer had told them that nothing less than strong 2iin metal would do for the city of Auckland. The league had urged nothing more than that, yet the engineer did not use such metal. He (Mr. Vaile) would like the Council to look at the samples the league had brought with them and compare them with the 2jin ring. He might say that in some places the material between the tramlines was a mass of big stones and mud. The Council should, without delay, really take some steps to have that condition of affairs attended to. No doubt they would say that a road roller had been cabled for, but in the meantime that which was being done wrongly should be stopped. It was pretty generally the unanimous opinion of the ratepayers that there was no proper knowledge of roadmaking shown by these who were entrusted by the Council with that duty. Mr. Julian at this stage pointed out that the steam roller had been written for, no: ! cabled for. j

Mr. Rosser asked the deputation to pee some of the samples they had procured. He moved that the matter go to the Streets Committee. When the " pebbles" were produced Sir. Taile dramatically endeavoured to coax a Htone the size of a man's heed through the 2£in standard ring used in England. Mr. Rosser: I am perfectly satisfied. Mr. Emil Bockaert, the secretary of the leasee, .said bo paid a large sum in rate?, and he would like to know where the money went. His conviction, after watching the methods of road-making in Auckland, was that it was being thrown away. ■ Mr. Arthur Rosier thought that sonic attention should be called to the fact that the stones exhibited were proof that there Lad been laxity in whoever passed the metal. The supervision in that direction should be stricter. Mr. J. Hewson considered that the great trouble was that the engineer hud been hampered. He had not had a free, hand to deal with the roads as he If the Council had taken t!-0 engineer's advice the roads would have been in a different state. The engineer was now making preparations to put the roads (which were in a lamentable state) into repair. There was no petting away from the fact that the roads had been neglected— Council was quite aware of the state of the streets. Symonds-street was especially bad, and it meant that that thoroughfare had to be torn up and relaid. He urged the league to have patience. There was a difficulty in getting metal ; the present etcain roller was undergoing repairs; and the Council were collecting metal as fast as they could. Mr. J. H. Hannan also thought the councillors were fully aware of the fact that tho road- were in a bad state. They were very much obliged to the league for any information, and their whole desire was to see lieratepayers take an interest in the city and render what assistance they could. At the same time ho hoped (hat they would not mail the Council till they -.vers ready to go on with the work. Mr. V. E. Baiime said he had not once or twice, but many times, complained to the Council about the state of the street.-. If thoy went on they would get letters compared with which'those of the league were mild, and they would deserve them. Whoever was responsible for the repairing of the roads was responsible for the odium that was cast upon the Council. He thought that if the matter went to the .Streets Committee it must go with a very strong expression from the Council that no more shiliy-shallvine- must be shown in the matter. With" regard to Queen-street, something would have to be done. It was in a lamentable condition, and the toad near the tramlines was very unsafe. He had iouiul the tramlines 3in and *in above the ground. and such a thing was, as Mr. Vaile had railed it, 'i veritable "death trap. It was scandalous. Thev knew that money must be found, and they must devise ways ami mean*. He did not want to hear any more cycle league letters; If was unpleasant to hear such letters and know that they could not dispute them. The league had been justified in what they hud done. Mr. J. Stichbury 'considered that a- great source of trouble v.as the fact that the roads were not properly cambered, and the water could not get away. . Mr. J. T. Julian thought it was high time something was done. Queen-street' was dangerous to anybody riding a cycle .or driving a vehicle. It war no use waiting for the time when the Tram Company would pave their pan of their streets—something must be done before that. Mr. 0. D. Grey said his firm had lost 32 cart-springs during the last six mouths through bad roads.

£' &■ Rosser was of opinion that the th?i?„ i P « ?t Sl,ould be Mked to repair teS o aVt,° **"*' 5" th ° Ooundfdo uieir part at tho same time. Ultimately Mr. Hewson amended his motion as follows:-That the engineer be instructed at owe to take action to repair < t )i een-strcet, and put it into a state of painty. Ho thought that Hie engineer should be given a free hand, otherwise the thing W ml 1 not be properly done. ***• J; ?■ Hannan seconded. _ Mr. Vaile, in referring to tho street crossings, not only in Queen-street, but in the outside streets, said thoy were a positive danger to life. They were '-hurdles," as Mr. Julian called them. There was one —from Messrs. Arnold Cheney's to the railway station— was not a hurdle, it was a '•steeplechase fence." (Laughter.) Mr. Hewson's motion, instructing the engineer to at once repair Queen-street, was then put and carried. The engineer (Mr. Wrigg) stated that the steam roller, which is at, present being re paired, would bo ready for use in a fortnigh' or three weeks. After being thanked, the deputation withdrew. ( Mr. Pierce Lanigan wrote as follows: — "I beg to inform you that I, in conjunction with another, am. prepared to make you an offer to pave the streets of Auckland with Milestone cube: of the same size as tho wood-blocking in the crossings in Queen* street, or of any other sized cubes required. The joints to be grouted in with cement mortar, with a 6in bed of cement, concrete underneath the cubes. The surface of tho street could be made smooth by filling tho joints up to the too of the cubes, or left rough by not quito filling the joints, or made rough at any time, by picking the mortar out of the joints. To deaden the sound, if required, a coat of tar. sand, and sawdust could be put on from time to time, at a nominal cost, or old sacks could be laid under the cubes. By cutting the stone by ray patent stone-cutter, tho work could be well done, as above described, at a cost which would certainly not exceed that of hard-wood blocking, and there can be no comparison between tho durability and value of tic respective materials, as the stone would wear for years without needing repair, and without mud, dust, or waterholes. Stone blocking has been in use for 25 years in the busiest thoroughfares of London (notably London Bridge and Threadnecdlestreet), and in other large cities, without requiring any repairs during the whole of that time'." The engineer's report was to the effect that such paving was condemned on account of the excessive noise of the vehicular traffic. The letter was referred to the Streets Committee.